Plywood manufacturers end stir on minister’s assurance

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, July 18

The All India Plywood Manufacturers’ Association ended its strike following a meeting with Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar in Chandigarh today. Jagadhri MLA and Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Karan Dev Kamboj, Yamunanagar MLA Ghanshyam Das, Radaur MLA and CPS Shyam Singh Rana and Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta were also present at the meeting.

Anil Garg, general secretary of the association, said the minister gave an assurance that the demand regarding abolition of 2 per cent market would be discussed with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while GST issue would be raised with the Centre.

The association had demanded reduction in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 28 per cent to 18 per cent on plywood and abolition of 2 per cent market fee.

Devender Chawla, national president, All India Plywood Manufacturers’ Association, said they ended the strike after receiving positive response.

The Centre has imposed 28 per cent GST on plywood and 18 per cent GST on poplar and eucalyptus (farmers’ produce). The state government charges 2 per cent market fee.

The owners of ply-board factories are required to pay 18 per cent GST on purchase of wood from farmers and 28 percent GST on manufactured ply and board to the Excise and Taxation Department.

Earlier, plyboard factory owners paid 4.2 per cent VAT on poplar and eucalyptus. There are 360 plywood units with a turnover of 1,143 crore. The units paid 117 crore in excise duty and VAT during 2016-17.